The invention of the laser held the promised of virtually unlimited bandwidth for communications and electronic applications. Two obstacles had to be overcome to unleash the promise of the laser. First, lasers had to be formed out of semiconductor materials to be compatible with modern electronic devices. Second, an optical waveguide for channeling and directing the laser light was required. Fiber optic cables and semiconductor lasers have overcome these obstacles allowing large bandwidth communication systems to be built. However, in present electro-optic systems there is a distinct dividing line between the electronic and the optical parts of the system leading to a problem in developing fully integrated electro-optical systems. One of the obstacles to achieving greater integration is a lack of a suitable device that is compatible with both electrical and optical signals.
Thus, there exists a need for an electro-optic device that is more compatible with both electrical and optical signals.